Should I travel with my Fiance?

[Neonred 3,564]

17 hours ago, bakphx1 said:

You can’t go to secondary with your spouse.  

Not necessarily true.  I went thru secondary with my fiancee in Atlanta.

 

1 hour ago, Jorgedig said:

 

Coming together on an international flight, you would be in separate lines even before secondary.  

 

 

Also not true at all.  You both can go thru either line.

Edited February 23, 2019 by Neonred

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

19 hours ago, bakphx1 said:

You can’t go to secondary with your spouse.  Unless they’re very nervous, there’s not much advantage to accompanying a spouse.

 

 I net mine st POE and we spent the night having a relaxed dinner and catching a flight the next day home.

That’s untrue- I flew with my husband and went in secondary with him. We were together the entire time from leaving his country to arriving at our final destination.

[Redheadguy03 505]

10 hours ago, C90 said:

All POE's seem more or less the same. I did my POE in Dublin (best POE I've ever had! But obviously for Nigeria that's not really an option).

Best advice I can give is that if your fiancé has a layover, try to not have it in the US since it sometimes can take a while to get through CBP and (s)he doesn't wanna miss his/her connecting flight. If there's no other way, don't worry about it but make sure to allow at least 3 hours of layover time.

I disagree. Some POE's are different. That's why people review them. My wife is from the Philippines and came through Guam. They have lots of Filipinos there, so being a Filipina it's a bit easier. Some big cities are known for being more strict in questioning. 

[C90 376]

2 minutes ago, Redheadguy03 said:

I disagree. Some POE's are different. That's why people review them. My wife is from the Philippines and came through Guam. They have lots of Filipinos there, so being a Filipina it's a bit easier. Some big cities are known for being more strict in questioning. 

True, but in the end they're all the same. You go to CBP, give your visa + envelope (if it isn't submitted digital), they ask you a bunch of questions, at some POE's you go into secondary, others you don't and then they let you in. Maybe some airports are more used to certain immigrants, but in the end everyone should be treated equally.

 

Flying to a POE far from where you live in the hope that it goes faster / is easier imo is a waste of money, cause it also depends on the CBP officer you get. The one I had in Dublin was so incredibly relaxed and it was done in 5 minutes, where I've had officers in PHL that questioned me for like 5 minutes when I came to visit before I moved here and others that let me in while barely looking at me.

 

If OP can find a POE that has really good reviews that's great, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. 

[ineedadisplayname 497]

21 hours ago, U&N said:

I have been reading Port of Entry reviews, it seems that most folks go to pick up their loved one from their country and travel back with them. 

 

Do you guys recommend picking up your Fiance and traveling back with them? 

No, unless they don't speak English.

I mean if you have time you can go and pick him/her up, but otherwise it makes no difference.

[K & R 343]

make sure if you have a connection in the us you make it a long layover. My husband was in line for an hour and a half and then adding secondary by the time he got out it was another 30 ish minutes. His POE was Orlando though which is pretty busy. But it was a direct flight from London so for us time didn’t matter. I would say minimum 3 hour layover. Time of year also has an impact on lines. He traveled in summer which is a busy time. If you want to travel together that’s fine but be prepared you’ll probably get separated at POE. Get familiar with the airport beforehand so you can pick a place to meet up just in case. Good luck!!

[WaterLeaf 200]

21 hours ago, U&N said:

What point of entry would you guys recommend if my Fiance is flying alone? 

 

Been through Washington D.C (VA) and Houston (TX) and I pick Houston...

Currently going to visit Miami (FL) in a few days to compare. My Fiancé doesn´t recommends it so I will see - ow.

 

Edit: Recommend going through big airport in non-heavy traffic hours. This makes it easier.
Do add some layover time (separated time from arrive - depart) so you can manage through the area unless you like to be quick.

Edited February 24, 2019 by WaterLeaf

[accumbyte 149]

On 2/22/2019 at 10:15 PM, U&N said:

Would you recommend ordering a ticket  online from USA, or having the Fiance buy his ticket from the originating country?

Either is fine. Compare prices to see which are cheaper. See if it's a direct flight or if it's a connecting flight through a country where he doesn't need a transit visa. Also consider roundtrip, Nigeria-US-Nigeria tickets. Sometimes they are cheaper than one-way:

If you buy roundtrip, then cancel the return ticket after he enters the US.

Edited February 24, 2019 by accumbyte

[Mieka91 27]

Definitely not necessary. My husband had no issues at JFK- and that is notoriously one of the toughest POE’s

[U&N 8]

My Finance's Interview is in 1 Week! Any last pointers for the Lagos Embassy regarding paperwork, arrival, interview, etc..

Its finally happening! 

[OlayemiLoray 172]

1 hour ago, U&N said:

My Finance's Interview is in 1 Week! Any last pointers for the Lagos Embassy regarding paperwork, arrival, interview, etc..

Its finally happening! 

As one member mentioned, do not buy airfare until visa and passport is in hand..Although my husband was approved at his interview, I wasn't going to take that chance..Also not true about the secondary part..My husband and I were together the whole time from the start of our flight to the end...No separation at all..Good luck on the rest of your journey!

[U&N 8]

Any recommendations on Hotels near Lagos Embassy with decent prices? 

[OlayemiLoray 172]

3 minutes ago, U&N said:

Any recommendations on Hotels near Lagos Embassy with decent prices? 

Now that I won't know because my husband caught an uber driver from the Mainland to the embassy...Traffic is pretty hectic in Lagos and especially around 3rd Mainland bridge, so it will be wise for him to stay close to the embassy..From my understanding they do have hotels with reasonable rates..

[TBoneTX 45,297]

Post your question in the Africa: Sub-Saharan regional forum rather than going off this thread's topic, please.